4/22: More Than 2,500 Players Honored!

Good in the Game 4/22

April 22, 2025

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) have announced a record number of members for the 2025 NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which comprises college football players from all divisions of the NCAA, NAIA and sprint football who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers — CLICK HERE to see the record-breaking 2,514 players from 339 schools!

Join us to celebrate college football legends such as Montee Ball, Graham Harrell, Michael Strahan, Michael Vick and many, many more at one of the sport's grandest traditions — the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas — Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, at the iconic Bellagio Hotel & Casino.

The highlight of the Awards Dinner will be the induction of the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class, where 18 legendary players and four acclaimed coaches take their place amongst the greatest of all time. The inductees proudly represent every region of the country, 28 collegiate institutions, 11 conferences, and seven decades.

In the latest episode of the Good in the Game Podcast, 2013 College Football Hall of Famer Tommie Frazier joins host LaVar Arrington to discuss his career at Nebraska, playing football in the 90s, his life after football, Lawrence Phillips and what the game has meant to him.

NFF chapters continue with a busy slate of events across the country, celebrating the best scholar-athletes from their respective regions. Collectively, the network will award more than $1 million in local scholarships this year while recognizing 3,500 high school and college student-athletes. Spanning 120 chapters in 47 states, the NFF Chapter Network serves as the heartbeat of a nationwide effort to promote amateur football and instill leadership, sportsmanship, and academic excellence among young players. The movement traces back to 1954, when the Cincinnati Club first discussed forming NFF chapters. Today, more than 12,000 passionate members continue that legacy, dedicated to Building Leaders Through Football. Together, they host more than 300 events annually, reaching 500,000 football players at 5,000 high schools.

Top Left: Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman (center, green jacket) delivered the keynote address at the NFF Moose Krause/South Bend Chapter Banquet on April 16. Founded in 1974, the chapter recognized two dozen local scholar-athletes this year, pictured here with Freeman.

Top Right: Charlie Smith, a two-way lineman and captain at Deerfield Academy, received the Frank Boyden Award during the NFF Western Massachusetts Chapter Banquet on April 6. The honor goes to the region’s top preparatory school scholar-athlete. The award’s namesake, Dr. Franklin L. Boyden, was headmaster at Deerfield for 66 years and received the NFF Distinguished American Award in 1971.

Bottom Left: South Pittsburg High School’s Jace Stone, a standout cornerback and wide receiver, was honored at the NFF East Tennessee Chapter Scholar-Athlete Luncheon on April 12.

Bottom Right: Brainerd High School quarterback Ty Nelson received the Stacy Robinson Leadership Award from the NFF Minnesota Chapter during their April 13 celebration.

Photo: The Athletic

College football won’t be the same after Lee Corso hangs up the headgear during his final appearance on College Football GameDay on Aug. 30.

Don Hasselbeck, a First Team All-American, First Team Academic All-American and Super Bowl champion who played tight end collegiately at Colorado and the father of NFL quarterbacks Matt and Tim, has passed away. He was 70.

Thomas Earl Daniels, who played football at Rice before going on to become the president and CEO of Sugar Creek National Bank in North Texas, passed away Apr. 9. He was 85.

John Allen "Jersey" Jermier, who played football at Coe College (IA) before becoming a coach, including stints as an assistant at Colorado State and Iowa, passed away Apr. 12. He was 92.

Michael Anthony Clark, who played football for the Cincinnati Bearcats in the early 1970s, passed away Wednesday, Apr. 16. He was 70.

Name: Jon Knutson
High School: C.M. Russell HS (Great Falls, Montana)
College: University of Colorado

How has football changed your life?

“As a young man growing up in the state of Montana, I had never been to a D1 (FBS) football game until I was on the field starting for the CU Buffs. In fact, my first NFL game I ever attended was when I was a rookie playing for the NY Jets (through camp). Football allowed me to go places I would have never gone and experience things only a select few get to experience. Imagine a kid from Great Falls, MT locking hands in the huddle with a kid from Compton, CA and Marrero, LA. The cultures were as far off as you can imagine, but we all spoke this common language. To this day I speak to my old teammates both HS and College, and I return for as much as I can attend.”

Share your football story with us! We want to know what football means to you, the lessons you learned, and the opportunities it provided.

May 29 — 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Ballot released

June 17 — NFF Team of Distinction announced

July 24-26 — Campbell Trophy Summit at Stanford University

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